Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyers

Common Types of Car Accidents in Los Angeles

In Los Angeles, car accidents occur under a variety of circumstances, yet certain types tend to happen more frequently. Here are some of the most common car accident scenarios you might encounter:

Hit and Run Accidents: Under California Vehicle Code 20002, leaving the scene of an accident without identifying oneself is considered a hit-and-run offense even when there is property damage and no injuries involved. Penalties can range from to six months in county jail with a fine of up to $1,000 or much worse depending on if injuries were incurred. In the event injuries were sustained, a hit and run becomes a felony with much harsher penalties. To convict someone of hit and run, it must be proven that:

• The defendant was driving and involved in an accident which caused property damage or injury.
• They were aware of their involvement in the accident and the resulting damage.
• They deliberately failed to stop at the scene and/or provide their name and address to the other party.

Rear-End Collisions: Rear end accidents account for nearly 30% of all traffic accidents annually, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA. Typically, the driver who hits the vehicle in front is deemed negligent and at fault. Common causes include:

• Tailgating
• Distracted driving
• Speeding
• Driving in hazardous conditions

T-Bone Accidents: These accidents are also known as side-impact collisions and occur when one vehicle moves into the path of another, creating a ‘T’ shape at the point of impact. T-bone accidents can result in a range of injuries, from mild to severe, including:

• Head injuries
• Neck injuries
• Back injuries
• Pelvic and abdominal injuries
• Chest injuries

Common Causes of Car Accidents in Los Angeles

Los Angeles has a population that exceeds 4 million people which makes traffic accidents common in the city of angels. The most common causes of car accidents in this bustling city include:

• Reckless Driving: This primarily involves speeding and a blatant disregard for established speed limits.
• Mobile Device Usage: Engaging with mobile devices while driving, be it texting or calling, diverts attention from the road.
• Distracted Driving: Any activity that detracts from the driver’s focus on driving, like eating, drinking, or interacting with passengers.
• Driver Fatigue: Fatigue can lead to drowsiness which often results from long-duration driving. This can impact the driver’s alertness or result in the driver falling asleep on the road.
• DUI (Driving Under the Influence): It’s illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher.
• Rubbernecking: This form of distracted driving occurs when drivers focus on external distractions like accidents or unusual events instead of the road.
• Vehicle Malfunctions: Faults in vehicle components such as tires, airbags, seat belts, or engines, either from wear and tear or manufacturing defects can result in accidents.
• Road Hazards: Poorly constructed or maintained roads can lead to accidents which place liability on the city the road is in.
• Adverse Weather Conditions: Challenges such as icy, slippery roads, or reduced visibility due to fog or rain can make driving hazardous.
• Construction Zones: These areas can become dangerous if not adequately marked with warning signs and safety measures.

Common Types of Car Accident Injuries

Car accidents can result in a variety of injuries, regardless of the crash’s severity. These injuries typically fall into two categories:

• a) Impact Injuries: Occur when the victim’s body hits parts of the vehicle.
• b) Penetrating Injuries: Result from objects piercing the victim’s body.

While some injuries from car accidents may heal with time or treatment, severe injuries might need extensive and costly medical care. In extremely severe accidents, injuries could result in lifelong disabilities. Common types of car accident injuries include:

• Head Injuries: These involve the head hitting the steering wheel, windshield, or windows which can lead to facial cuts, bruises, and possibly severe internal brain damage or bleeding.
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Caused by severe concussions or piercing debris in high-speed collisions. These can result in brain bruising, tearing of brain tissue, and damage to blood vessels or internal hemorrhaging.
• Chest Injuries: Chest or upper body impacts against the steering wheel, dashboard, or other internal areas of the vehicle can lead to bruised or fractured ribs, muscle strain, bruised sternum, and internal organ damage.
• Injuries to Lower Extremities and Limbs: The confined legroom in vehicles can lead to cuts, bruises, punctures, fractured legs, ankle dislocations, foot fractures, and other crushing injuries due to sudden impact.
• Soft Tissue Injuries: Whiplash is a common soft tissue injury in car accidents which is caused by the abrupt stretching of neck and upper back muscles and ligaments. Other injuries include contusions, sprains, tendonitis, bursitis, stress injuries, and strains.
• Spinal Cord Injury: These severe, potentially life-altering injuries can result from trauma to the cervical, lumbar, or thoracic spine and may lead to various forms of paralysis.
• Broken Bones: Ranging from simple fractures needing casts to compound fractures requiring surgery, broken bones can affect lower legs, femurs, arms, wrists, clavicles, hips, ribs, and even the face or skull.
• Burns: Exposure to fire, heat, steam, chemicals, or electricity in a burning vehicle can result in serious injuries that require extensive treatment. These injuries vary in severity and may require surgery or skin grafting with months of recovery.
• Wrongful Death: Loss of life can be the result of impact or sustained injuries in the most severe car accidents.

California Car Accident Laws

Understanding the laws related to car accidents in California is crucial for ensuring proper compensation and avoiding legal pitfalls. Key aspects of California’s car accident laws include:

Statute of Limitations: This law sets the deadline for filing claims. Victims of car accidents in California have two years from the accident date to file injury claims and three years to file claims for property damage.

Fault-Based Car Insurance System: California adheres to a fault-based system for car insurance, requiring all drivers to maintain adequate vehicle insurance. This includes:

• Bodily injury coverage of $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident.
• Property damage liability coverage of $5,000.

Liability Laws

• Comparative Fault: In cases where more than one party is responsible for an accident, each party can be held liable for their share of liability. Even if victims contribute to the accident, they are not barred from recovering compensation.
• Apportionment of Fault: When multiple parties are liable for an accident, each party is financially responsible in proportion to their degree of fault.

Being aware of these laws can significantly impact the handling of car accident cases in California and influence both the filing process and the potential compensation received.

What to Do After a Car Accident?

Experiencing a car accident can be traumatic and disorienting. Nonetheless, certain steps are crucial to protect your legal rights and ensure you are fairly compensated, potentially with the assistance of a car accident lawyer. Here’s a guide on what to do following a car accident:

1. Seek Medical Attention: First and foremost, assess and address any injuries sustained. It’s imperative to seek medical aid, regardless of the accident’s severity. Provide detailed information about the crash and any symptoms to medical responders. Undergo a thorough medical examination and adhere to follow-up treatments for optimal recovery.
2. Report to the Police: It’s essential to have law enforcement at the accident site to create an official police report. Obtain a copy of this report for your records, as it will be a key document in your claim process.
3. Gather Evidence: Collect as much information as possible immediately after the accident. This includes the contact details of involved parties, photos and videos of the crash scene, and statements from any witnesses. This evidence is critical for your claim.
4. Avoid Admitting Fault: In the chaos following an accident, it’s crucial to be mindful of your statements. Avoid admitting fault or making statements that could be interpreted as such, as this can significantly impact your ability to file a claim.
5. Consult a Los Angeles Car Accident Attorney: Consider consulting with a Los Angeles car accident attorney experienced in handling such cases. An attorney can provide legal guidance and help you navigate the process to secure the maximum compensation for your claim.

Common Mistakes Made After a Car Accident

Being involved in a car accident often leaves individuals in a state of shock and confusion and can lead to potential missteps that can adversely affect a legal case. To avoid compromising your claim, it’s crucial to be aware of and prevent common mistakes post-accident. These include:

• Failing to Fully Disclose Information to Your Lawyer: Withholding details can hinder your lawyer’s ability to effectively represent your case.
• Delaying Medical Attention: Not seeking immediate medical evaluation and treatment can be detrimental to both your health and your claim.
• Ignoring Medical Advice: Not adhering to the prescribed treatment plan can negatively impact your recovery and the credibility of your injury claims.
• Hiring an Inexperienced Lawyer: Choosing legal representation without adequate experience in car accident cases can limit the effectiveness of your claim.
• Concealing Previous Injuries or Legal Cases: Being untruthful about past injuries or lawsuits can undermine your current claim.
• Underestimating Your Injuries: Downplaying the extent of your injuries can lead to inadequate compensation.
• Discussing Your Case: Sharing details of your case with others, especially on social media, can jeopardize the confidentiality and integrity of your claim.
• Communicating Directly with the Other Party’s Insurance Company: Engaging in discussions with the opposing insurance company without legal representation can lead to misstatements and reduced compensation.

Understanding Your Car Accident Police Report

Understanding and obtaining your car accident police report is a critical step in advancing your claim. This report is often considered one of the most credible sources of evidence in a car accident lawsuit and is key to the legal process. The police report typically contains essential details that include:

• The exact location and time of the car accident.
• A comprehensive description of the accident, including any injuries and damage incurred.
• The names, addresses, birth dates, and license numbers of all drivers involved.
• Personal information, including the names and addresses of the vehicle owners.
• Insurance information for all parties, including company names and policy numbers.
• Contact details of the insurance policy holders.

To obtain a copy of the collision report investigated by the California Highway Patrol, you can visit a CHP office or submit a CHP 190 Application for Release of Information form along with a copy of your driver’s license. The cost of a CHP report varies and ranges from $10 to $40 depending on the length of the report. This document is invaluable for comprehensively understanding the circumstances of your car accident and can help an expert car accident lawyer build a robust case that stands the best chance of winning the compensation you deserve.

How Do You Prove Negligence & Liability in a Car Accident Claim?

In car accident claims, the foundation often lies in establishing negligence on the part of the at-fault party (defendant). The injured party (plaintiff) bears the responsibility of demonstrating that the defendant’s negligence caused the accident. This involves proving four key elements:

• Duty: The injured party needs to establish that the defendant owed them a duty of care. This duty is inherent in the responsibility of all drivers to operate their vehicles considerately and safely while being mindful of others on the road.
• Breach: It must be shown that the defendant breached this duty of care. This breach occurs when the defendant acts (or fails to act) in a manner that a reasonable person in the same situation would not, especially if they knew such actions could harm others.
• Causation: The plaintiff must demonstrate that their injuries and the resulting damages were a direct consequence of the defendant’s negligence. This causal link is vital to establish the defendant’s responsibility for the accident.
• Damages: Finally, the injured party must illustrate how their losses due to the accident warrant financial compensation. These damages can include medical expenses, loss of income, and other related costs.

Compensation for Car Accident Victims in California

In California, victims of car accidents have the right to seek compensation for the various damages and injuries they have endured. While each case is unique, there are common categories of compensation that your car accident attorney will likely include in your demand letter to the defendant. These typically encompass:

• Medical Expenses: Coverage for existing medical bills as well as anticipated future medical costs and treatments.
• Disability Accommodations: Costs for both temporary and permanent accommodations due to any disabilities resulting from the accident.
• Lost Income: Compensation for current lost wages and potential future income loss.
• Vehicle Repair or Replacement: Costs for repairing or replacing your vehicle post-accident.
• Pain and Suffering: Compensation for physical, mental, and emotional distress caused by the accident.
• Wrongful Death: In cases of fatal accidents, compensation for the loss of a loved one.
• Life-Altering Damages: Compensation for severe and permanent changes to the victim’s quality of life.

No Win, No Fee

Absolutely No Fee Unless We Win Your Case

Mesriani Law Group has over two decades of experience in protecting victims of car accidents as well as employment and labor law violations in California.

Through our wealth of experience, we understand that the main reason why victims of accidents or of unjust treatment by employers are hesitant to file cases or claim damages against the parties at fault is because of the high legal fees.

In order to resolve this matter and help more people get the best compensation they deserve from the people who caused their injuries, pain and suffering, and losses, we decided to offer a No Win No Fee guarantee to all our clients. This means that you don’t have to pay us anything for our top legal services, regardless of the complexities of your claims, if we are not able to provide you with the justice you deserve.

We offer this because we are confident that our experience, expertise, and dedication will always translate to getting the maximum compensation you deserve at the swiftest possible time. Call our top attorneys right away for any car accident-related concerns and we’ll assure you get nothing but the best legal service and personalized client care you deserve.

Free Consultation with A Mesriani Car Accident Lawyer

Mesriani Law Group is dedicated to helping victims and their loved ones who sustained injuries and damage and lost their lives in car accidents through the injury claim process in Los Angeles. We handle a majority of auto accident cases on a No Win, No Fee basis. We only charge a fee if we are successful in winning your case and getting you the maximum compensation, you deserve. Give us a call now for a free consultation.